17 Photographers Sum Up Summer 2019 in a Single Photo

Officially, summer isn't over for another three weeks, but there's no denying that something changes in the air with the transition from August to September—which, for many, is also a transition from vacation to reality. Luckily, Labor Day weekend offers one last opportunity to relax—and to reflect on what this season's relaxation period was like at its peak, which W asked 17 photographers to capture in a single photograph that they took this past summer. Carlijn Jacobs, for one, looked back at a day by the pool outside Paris during France's historic heatwave, whereas Denisse Ariana Pérez shared how she devoted the month of June to shining a light on discrimination against people with albinism in Tanzania. From tanning and picnic hotspots like Washington Square Park and McCarren Park in New York City to Rio de Janeiro and Córdoba, Spain, soak in the last of the summer sun via those snapshots and more, here.

Mom and Dad in Córdoba, Spain (2019). Photograph by Alicia Vera.

Albinism, Albinism (2019). Photograph by Denisse Ariana Pérez.

“This summer has been the busiest summer of my life and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. I’ve used the extra time, the sunlight, and the warmth to go after my personal projects. I feel energized, exhausted, and galvanized all at the same time. This photo is from one of those projects. It’s from my series 'Albinism, Albinism – An Exploration of Light, Nature and Albinism' in Africa, which I shot in Tanzania this last June in collaboration with the Josephat Torner Foundation. People with albinism in Tanzania have been discriminated and persecuted for years and I wanted to use photography to create awareness and highlight their beauty, portraying them as protagonists and not as victims.“ —Denisse Ariana Pérez.

Tomato & Lemons (2019). Photograph by Sergiy Barchuk.

Ari (2019). Photograph by Akasha Rabut.

"I'll never forget this summer because my brother got married. My nine-year-old niece Ari had a strong vision of what her wedding ensemble would look like. She requested that my brother find her a red suit in the dead of summer. It was a bit of a daunting task, but his fiancé managed to find her one. Ari pieced together this incredible wedding outfit just in time for the wedding." —Akasha Rabut

Etampes (2019). Photograph by Carlijn Jacobs.

“This photo was shot in a pool in Étampes in France, during the heatwave. Everyone was looking for a way to cool off and escape the city, including me. I love how everyone is so free in the water and the joy the boys have in this shot.” —Carlijn Jacobs

Summer in NYC (2019). Photograph by Renell Medrano.

Unforgotten Truth (2019). Photograph by Cole Barash.

“Summer, a slotted time for exploration and curiosity in nature—from as long as I can remember this holds true within. While at a residency in New Zealand this past month, where it was their winter, I was often looking for the obscure situations as life presented itself.” —Cole Barash

Landon & Bowie (2019). Photograph by Mark Sommerfeld.

Rio (2017). Photograph by Hick Duarte.

"The feeling achieved by a sea bath in the heat is always the most striking memory of summer for me. A mix of freedom and nostalgia. Especially if it happens to be in Rio de Janeiro, where this picture was shot.” —Hick Duarte

Sardinian House (2019). Photograph by Ana Cuba.

“Sky in Quito, where I was lucky to spend 10 days on a commission at the beginning of the summer. The skies were just powerful and the nature there was very overwhelming all throughout the trip. The light during the day was the harshest I have ever experienced and almost impossible to photograph at midday, but you were really rewarded with some amazing skies in the evenings that made up for the rest of the day!” —Ana Cuba

Allie (2019). Photograph by Ysa Pérez.

“Originally from upstate, I've been living on and off in NYC for 12 years, and in those years, somehow find myself often winding up at McCarren Park with friends. This is Allie, and this picture to me a memory of a really nice day we shared in July after we did yoga, ate soba, and rode bikes over the bridge so we could tan (of course).” —Ysa Pérez